England Big Body Mandolin

[Big Juan]

This is the mandolin Bryan England and Larry Shepherd recently build for me. #This is their "Big Body" Custom Scroll Model. #Maple back and sides and Western Red Cedar top. #I chose a simple snowflake inlay design on the board as I prefer a more basic design, but they'll do anything a person wants.

I've only had it a week. #Initial tone out of the box is very pleasing to my ear. #Bryan said I can expect the tone to deepen and for the volume to increase as it opens up.

I'm very,very pleased with this mandolin. #Workmanship appears to be flawless to my eye. #Bryan is very easy to work with. #The entire transaction was completed via e-mails. #His prices are extremely reasonable.

http://images.hostmypic.info/7c05e8ea5b.jpg (http://images.hostmypic.info)
http://images.hostmypic.info/114a2ec443.jpg (http://images.hostmypic.info)
http://images.hostmypic.info/9b82f10454.jpg (http://images.hostmypic.info)

[John M. Riley]

exactly how much of a big body does it have? Slightly larger like a tucker?

[markishandsome]

I let out a little yelp when I saw the picture of the back. What will the neighbors think?

[WireBoy]

i like the little inlay on the end of the finger board.

[Big Juan]

Traditional,
I don't have the dimensions of the "Big Body" handy. Bryan gave them to me, but I'm not sure where I put them. If I remember right (it's been a few months back) the Big Body is only like 1/8" bigger (Width and length), but it's noticeably deeper. I'll measure it tonight and give you some measurements.
I'm not familiar with the Tucker, so can't answer your question there.

[John M. Riley]

does the big body give it more volume and projection or just a different tone
also, what kind of case can you fit it in.....

[Big Juan]

I haven't had a chance to play it side by side with any other higher end mandolins yet, so I it's kind of hard to comment on the tone and volume. I have a good friend who has a Collings MF5 and will be getting together with him (hopefully this week) to do some comparing. It seems to have noticeably more punch to me than other mandolins I've played. Yes, I'd say more volume and a somewhat deeper tone, but oddly enough (or maybe it's not all that odd), but the mid's and highs seem to cut more noticeably than I was expecting.

Joe Clark, who is the mandolin player with Honi Deaton and her group, plays an England Big Body. He could give you a better description of the tone than I can as he's had his longer. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to visit with you about it. He's the one who suggested I look into the England Big Body.

[John M. Riley]

hate to be nosey, but what kind of proce range does a mandolin like that run in

[B. T. Walker]

Man, that back looks like a tiger striped it. Beautiful.

[Big Juan]

Traditional,
# #No problem. #$2,800 including case and shipping. #Very nice hardshell case that is fitted inside to house the Big Body. #They sell a more basic model for $2,200. #Here' his website. http://www.custominlay.com/cgi-bin....ndolins (http://www.custominlay.com/cgi-bin/store.new/store.cgi?&shop=live&cart=98969321x25111&session=44bd46b7621726e9&L=eng&Category=englandmandolins)

They can answer questions a whole lot better than I can!!! # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Big Juan]

P.S. The website doesn't give any information on their Big Body model for some reason. You'll probably need to e-mail or call Bryan to get more information. Also, For what it's worth Bobby Osborne is playing an England mandolin... They have a Bobby Osborne signature model available also.

[Big Juan]

Traditional,
Ok, the Big Body is 1/4" larger all the way around and is 1/16" Deeper. It seems deeper than that to me.....feels deeper anyway. Also, someone asked about the nut...it's fossilized ivory.

[John M. Riley]

looks like a real hoss

[Big Juan]

Traditional,
I played a bunch of nice mandolins from Greg Boyds at the Bitterroot Festival a couple of weeks ago (Webers, Collings, Prucha's, Gibson, Cole, etc.). He had his tables set up under a big canopy there. I wish I'd had the England there to play along side those, but I hadn't received it yet so I really can't do a fair comparison of the England to the others I played. It sounds great to me right now, so can only assume it will get better with time. Most quality instruments only get better as they are played, of course.
There are so many great instruments to chose from these days...not just mandolins, but guitars, banjos, etc. as well. There was a time when if you wanted a great bluegrass Mandolin, Gibson was the only real choice. Same for the banjo, and with guitars it was pretty much a Martin. Those days are pretty much history. I think we are living in the "golden age" as far as quality instruments are concerned. Today we have almost too many outstanding builders to chose from. My guess is that many of the instruments made by the better small independent luthiers are going to be selling for premium prices several years from now when they are considered "vintage". I"ll be dead and gone by then, but they are going to be worth some big bucks eventually. I say that because there just isn't going to be a lot of them floating around to be had. Quality speaks for itself, and we all know that serious musicians are willing to pay some big prices for anything that is a cut above the rest and is rare to boot. The medicore ones will eventually fall by the wayside, but the cream always rises to the top!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Bobster]

I have had mine since Feb. I love it. My 1978 Unicorn hadnt see daylight since I got mine.

[cooper4205]

nice mando, i played an england at pick-n-grin in knoxville. i'm not that big a fan of the headstock, but other than that it was a good mandolin, with a lot of volume and good tone. they are a good deal too,

[mangorockfish]

How do you see it? What do you click? All I got was a bunch of spam from the host site.

[Grandude]

I got the same spam when I clicked the icons attached to the original topic post by Big Juan. No pictures on the original post, just icons that take you no where.